Tiltable seat mounting apparatus

Abstract

A tiltable seat apparatus comprises a mounting structure attachable a vehicle chassis and including spaced-apart upstanding portions and a mounting member connected between the upstanding portions. A seat assembly includes a seat frame having spaced-apart downstanding portions. Each one of the downstanding portions is pivotably attached to a respective one of the upstanding portions such that an axis of rotation extends through the downstanding and upstanding portions whereby the seat frame pivots about the axis of rotation. A resilient member is engaged between the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure, and allows the seat assembly to pivot about the axis of rotation with respect to the mounting structure between a static orientation and an angularly displaced orientation. The resilient member exerts force on the mounting structure and the seat assembly when in the angularly displaced orientation for biasing the seat attachment structure toward the static orientation.

1. A tiltable seat mounting apparatus, comprising:
 a mounting structure configured for being attached to a chassis of a vehicle, wherein the mounting structure includes spaced-apart upstanding portions and a mounting member connected between said upstanding portions; 
 a seat attachment structure configured for being attached to a seat usable with the downstanding portions and a seat attachment member connected between said downstanding portions, wherein each one of said downstanding portions is pivotably attached to a respective one of said upstanding portions such that an axis of rotation extends through said downstanding and upstanding portions whereby the seat attachment structure pivots about the axis of rotation; 
 a resilient member engaged between the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure, wherein the resilient member allows the seat attachment structure to pivot about the axis of rotation with respect to the mounting structure between a static orientation and an angularly displaced orientation and wherein the resilient member exerts force on the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure when in the angularly displaced orientation for biasing the seat attachment structure toward the static orientation; 
 wherein said resilient member includes a spring; 
 a preloaded adjuster engages with said spring for enabling selective adjustment of a preload force exerted by the spring when the seat attachment structure is in the static orientation; 
 wherein the preload adjuster is engaged with the mounting member; and 
 the spring is a leaf spring having end portions engaged with the preload adjuster and a central portion engaged with the seat attachment structure. 
 
   
   
     2. The tiltable seat mounting apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the mounting member is generally flat and has opposing edge portions with a respective one of said upstanding portions attached to one of said edge portions of the mounting member; and 
 the seat attachment member is generally flat and has opposing edge portions with a respective one of said downstanding portions attached to one of said edge portions of the seat attachment member. 
 
   
   
     3. A tiltable seat mounting apparatus, comprising:
 a mounting structure configured for being attached to a chassis of a vehicle, wherein the mounting structure includes spaced-apart upstanding portions and a mounting member connected between said upstanding portions; 
 a seat attachment structure configured for being attached to a seat usable with the vehicle, wherein the seat attachment structure includes spaced-apart downstanding portions and a seat attachment member connected between said downstanding portions, wherein a first one of said downstanding portions is juxtaposed to a first one of said upstanding portions and wherein a second one of said downstanding portions is juxtaposed to a second one of said upstanding portions; 
 pivot means having an axis of rotation that extends through said juxtaposed downstanding and upstanding portions, said pivot means connecting the juxtaposed downstanding and upstanding portions so the seat attachment structure pivots on said pivot means about the axis of rotation; 
 self-centering means engaged between the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure, wherein said self-centering means allows the seat attachment structure to pivot about the axis of rotation with respect to the mounting structure between a static orientation and an angularly displaced orientation and wherein the self-centering means exerts force on the mounting structure and the seat structure when in the angularly displaced orientation for biasing the seat attachment structure toward the static orientation; 
 said self-centering means includes a spring and a preload adjuster, the spring is engaged between the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure, wherein the spring allows the seat attachment structure to pivot about the axis of rotation with respect to the mounting structure between a static orientation and an angularly displaced orientation; 
 the spring exerts force on the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure when in the angularly displaced orientation for biasing the seat attachment structure toward the static orientation; 
 the preload adjuster is engaged with the spring for enabling selective adjustment of a preload force exerted by the spring when the seat attachment structure is in the static orientation; 
 the preload adjuster is engaged with the mounting member; and 
 the spring is a leaf spring having end portions engaged with the preload adjuster and a central portion engaged with the seat attachment structure. 
 
   
   
     4. The tiltable seat mounting apparatus of  claim 3  wherein:
 the mounting member is generally flat and has opposing edge portions with a respective one of said upstanding portions attached to one of said edge portions of the mounting member; and 
 the seat attachment member is generally flat and has opposing edge portions with a respective one of said downstanding portions attached to one of said edge portions of the seat attachment member. 
 
   
   
     5. A tiltable seat apparatus, comprising:
 a mounting structure configured to being attached to a chassis of a vehicle, wherein the mounting structure includes space-apart upstanding portions and a mounting member connected between said upstanding portions; 
 a seat assembly including a seat frame having spaced-apart downstanding portions, wherein each one of said downstanding portions is pivotably attached to a respective one of said upstanding portions such that an axis of rotation extends through said downstanding and upstanding portions whereby the seat frame pivots about the axis of rotation; 
 a resilient member engaged between the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure, wherein the resilient member allows the seat assembly to pivot about the axis of rotation with respect to the mounting structure between a static orientation and an angularly displaced orientation and wherein the resilient member exerts force on the mounting structure and the seat assembly when in the angularly displaced orientation for biasing the seat attachment structure toward the static orientation; 
 the resilient member includes a spring; 
 a preload adjuster engaged with the spring for enabling selective adjustment of a preload force exerted by the spring when the seat frame is in the static orientation; 
 the preload adjuster is engaged with the mounting member; and 
 the spring is a leaf spring having end portions engaged with the preload adjuster and a central portion engaged with the seat frame. 
 
   
   
     6. The tiltable seat mounting apparatus of  claim 5  wherein:
 the mounting member is generally flat and has opposing edge portion with a respective one of said upstanding portions attached to one of said edge portions of the mounting member; and 
 the seat frame includes a generally flat portions having opposing edge portions with a respective one of said downstanding portions attached to one of said edge portions of the seat frame.